Is your boat ready to go cruising? Just about every sailboat—used and new—can make a good cruiser, but only if the hull-deck structure, rig, and systems meet certain standards. Spurr’s Guide to Upgrading Your Cruising Sailboat tells you what those standards are, and gives you all the help you need to refurbish and upgrade every structure, surface, fitting, and system on your boat—stem to stern, project by project. This all-in-one guide leads you step by step to a seaworthy, crew-friendly boat with top-notch cruising performance. Not only will you learn what to look for when you buy a new or used boat, you'll also learn how to reinforce your boat’s hull and structural components, redesign and replace rigging, upgrade electrical systems, and much more. Special features include: A detailed survey of 70 used and new fiberglass sailboats best suited to offshore sailing Gear and equipment recommendations by brand name Construction details and other essential features of a strong, safe cruising boat How to make critical repairs to the deck, hull, bulkheads, blisters, and portlights

Now in its second edition, completely revised and updated, Spurr's Boatbook remains the best single source for understanding and improving your boat. You need not live with a dark or dank cabin, insufficient space for stowage or chartwork, or sheet winches, halyards, and reefing arrangements so inconvenient that you often find yourself motoring when you'd rather be sailing. Somewhere beneath your boat's crazed gelcoat, untamed rig, patchwork electrical system, and stubborn steering lies the boat of your dreams. This book will enable you to envision that boat in detail--how its deck hardware is laid out, what the rig looks like, where its hull and decks are reinforced, and how its cabin arrangements are altered to fit your needs. And the book will help you translate that vision into reality by showing you what work should be done and in what order, which projects you can do yourself and which you should probably hire out, and how much time or money might be involved. Along the way, Dan Spurr gives step-by-step instructions, supported by Bruce Bingham's beautifully clear drawings, for many useful projects any do-it-yourselfer can tackle, including autopilot installation, deck hardware modifications, and electrical system upgrades. The gear, equipment, design, and construction standards cited in this book--often in very specific detail with brand-name recommendations--are as useful for evaluating a new boat as they are for buying a used boat or improving the boat you already own.

The Comprehensive Sailing Start-Up Resource Can a keelboat tip over? Can I take a centerboard boat onto open water? How can I determine what boat I want? Once I do, what’s a fair price to pay for it? Should I buy it new or used? How can I tell the difference between a used boat and one that’s used up? Now that I have it, how can I start sailing quickly and safely? Your First Sailboat is the first book to answer all your questions about selecting, buying, maintaining, and using your first boat. This user-friendly guide covers issues that other books ignore, including how to choose between a trailer sailer, daysailer, raceboat, cruiser, or multihull; what hull material is best for your first boat; whether to buy new or used; where to shop; how to judge quality and condition; where to keep your new boat; and what to do about gear, loans, insurance, and annual maintenance. Special features of this all-in-one handbook include: A descriptive buying guide to 75 recommended sailboats of all types and sizes, from daysailers to racers, cruisers, and multihulls A decision tree to guide you to your ideal starter boat Complete instructions on how to care for and sail your boat as well as how to acquire it Straightforward and fun, Your First Sailboat gives you just what you need to stop asking questions and start sailing. Everything else is optional. Save time. Save money. This book omits everything you don’t need to know.

Now in its second edition, completely revised and updated, Spurr's Boatbook remains the best single source for understanding and improving your boat. You need not live with a dark or dank cabin, insufficient space for stowage or chartwork, or sheet winches, halyards, and reefing arrangements so inconvenient that you often find yourself motoring when you'd rather be sailing. Somewhere beneath your boat's crazed gelcoat, untamed rig, patchwork electrical system, and stubborn steering lies the boat of your dreams. This book will enable you to envision that boat in detail--how its deck hardware is laid out, what the rig looks like, where its hull and decks are reinforced, and how its cabin arrangements are altered to fit your needs. And the book will help you translate that vision into reality by showing you what work should be done and in what order, which projects you can do yourself and which you should probably hire out, and how much time or money might be involved. Along the way, Dan Spurr gives step-by-step instructions, supported by Bruce Bingham's beautifully clear drawings, for many useful projects any do-it-yourselfer can tackle, including autopilot installation, deck hardware modifications, and electrical system upgrades. The gear, equipment, design, and construction standards cited in this book--often in very specific detail with brand-name recommendations--are as useful for evaluating a new boat as they are for buying a used boat or improving the boat you already own.

In a book that is sure to become a classic, internationally respected boatbuilder, yacht manager, and delivery skipper Bill Seifert shares his hard-won solutions to a host of boat design, construction, and equipment issues and seamanship dilemmas. Unlike other books on the subject, Offshore Sailing doesn’t just tell readers what to do for safe and comfortable passage making; it shows them how to do it with clear, step-by-step instructions and nearly 200 detailed drawings and photographs.

In Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere you will find in-depth reviews of twenty affordable, comfortable, and seaworthy sailboats. These boats range in size from 30-38 feet, an ideal size for the cruising couple, yet big enough to accommodate an occasional cruising hitchhiker or two. All of these boats were once prominent offerings, designed by some of the world s leading naval architects and produced by reputable manufacturers. These boats are still readily available in the used boat market."Gregg has done a fine research job here, one pleasingly devoid of flim-flam. It's a truly helpful tool for those of you wading with trepidation into the murky waters of boat-buying."John Vigor, Author, Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere"This book is a must for the boat shopper looking for an experienced vessel."Bob Bitchin - Founder/Editor, Latitudes and Attitudes

For the first time ever, a comparative survey of 95 percent of the fiberglass pocketcruising sailboats ever built Author Steve Henkel has researched hundreds of cruising sailboats less than 26 feet long--pocket cruisers--to create this definitive gallery and handbook of the small cruising sailboats built in the last 45 years. With detailed plans, specifications, performance indexes, and commentary for every model the author could find (360 in all!), The Sailor’s Book of Small Cruising Sailboats is your ideal core reference for the used and new boats you see on the water.